Respiratory mask and stiffening member therefor



April 12, 1955 M. M. ANDREWS RESPIRATORY MASK AND STIFFENING MEMBERTHEREFOR Filed Oct. 11, 1951 2 Shets-Sheet l April 12, 1955 M. M.ANDREWS RESPIRATORY MASK AND STIFFENING MEMBER THEREFOR Filed Oct. 111951 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Jz'zL/E" 27' 2 0E 277E155- mfindasws 5 02M w. 5

United States Patent RESPIRATORY lVIASK AYD STIFFENING MEIVIBER THEREFORMary M. Andrews, Akron, Ohio, assignor, by mesne assignments, to The B.F. Goodrich Company, Akron, Ohio, a corporation of New York ApplicationOctober 11, 1951, Serial No. 250,925

7 Claims. (Cl. 128-402) This invention relates to a respiratory mask andpertains more particularly to a respiratory mask having a relativelyrigid stiflening member disposed between the face piece and rebreatherbag of the mask and the method of making same.

It is an object of this invention to provide a relatively flexiblerespiratory mask for supplying an oxygen-rich gaseous fluid to thewearer of the mask at all times regardless of the position of therebreather bag with respect to the face piece of the mask.

it is also an object of this invention to provide a connector orstiifening member for a respiratory mask for maintaining the passagewaybetween the face piece and rebreather bag of the mask in an opencondition at all times and for maintaining a non-collapsible conduit toallow oxygen-rich air to flow to the face piece of the mask even whenthe rebreather bag is in a collapsed condition due to externally appliedforces.

Another object of this invention is to provide a relatively flexiblelight-weight respiratory mask which may be comfortably worn for longperiods of time.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a convenient andeconomical method of making a respiratory mask.

Other objects of this invention will be apparent from the drawings anddescription which follow.

Respiratory masks are commonly used for supplying an oxygen-rich gaseousmixture to aviators and to persons afflicted with a respiratory disease.One conventional type of respiratory mask utilized in this mannercomprises a face piece adapted to fit over the nose and/or mouth of thewearer and a rebreather bag or container depending from the face pieceof the mask adapted to function as a reservoir for oxygen-richexhalation air during the exhalation portion of the breathing cycle sothat an abundant supply of oxygen-rich air is available to the wearer ofthe mask during the inhalation portion of the breathing cycle, gaseousoxygen being supplied to the rebreather bag to replenish the oxygen usedby the wearer of the mask during prior inhalation. The rebreather bag iscommonly constructed of a relatively flexible lightweight material, suchas rubber, to provide an article which may be comfortably worn for longperiods of time. This conventional type of respiratory mask has not beenentirely satisfactory, however, in that, because of the flexiblecharacteristic of the mask, a relatively small force exerted on therebreather bag, such as occurs if the wearer of the mask lies upon therebreather bag, collapses the bag terminating the flow of oxygen-richair to the face piece of the mask and, consequently, to the wearer.Also, the passageway between the face piece and rebreather bag of themask, being flexible, is frequently collapsed by the wearer of the maskduring normal usage by inadvertently displacing the rebreather bag fromits normal depending position with respect to the face piece of the maskthus restricting or completely cutting-off the flow of oxygenrich air tothe wearer of the mask.

1 have invented a respiratory mask which attains the objectivesenumerated above and is not subject to the deficiencies of conventionalrebreather bag respiratory masks. A respiratory mask within the purviewof this invention comprises a face piece adapted to fit over the noseand/ or mouth of the wearer, a rebreather bag, which may be integralwith the face piece or a separate member, depending from the face piece,and a relatively rigid connector or stiffening member extending from theface piece of the mask into the rebreather bag.

To clearly teach this invention reference will henceforth be made to theembodiments of this invention shown in the appended drawings, however,it will be understood that they are intended merely as illustrations ofthis invention and that I do not intend to limit the scope of thisinvention to the embodiments described.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a view in elevation partly broken away and in section of arespiratory mask within the purview of this invention;

Fig. 2 is a section on line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a view in elevation partly broken away and in section ofanother embodiment of this invention;

Fig. 4 is a section on line 44 of Fig. 3; and

Fig. 5 is a view in elevation partly broken away and in section of athird embodiment of this invention.

Referring to Fig. 1, respiratory mask 10 comprises a thin-walledflexible face piece 11 of rubber-like material adapted to fit over thewearer's nose and mouth and a thinwalled pleated flexible rebreather bagor container 12 of rubber-like material connected integrally to facepiece 11. Rebreather bag 12 is provided with a nipple 3.3 which isconnected to an oxygen supply tube 14 when mask 1% is in use. Face piece11 and bag 12 may be formed in any usual manner such as by depositing alayer of rubbery material from an aqueous dispersion thereof onto anappropriately shaped deposition form.

A reiatr'el'y rigid open-ended connector or stiffening member 15 havinga tubular configuration extends a substantiai distance, preferably adistance of at least about one inch, into bag 12, as shown in Fig. l,and is provided with a flange 16 on one end which bears against thewalls of face piece 11 preventing connector tube 15 from being urgedcompletely into bag 12. The other end of stiffening member 15 extendinginto bag 12 is provided with a serrated edge 17 which prevents thetubular opening of stiffening member 15 from becoming entirely closed ifbag 12 is collapsed over the stiffening member, the notched openingsformed by serrated tubular edge 17 providing a plurality of conduitsthrough which the oxygenrich mixture may flow. Stifiening member 15 maybe constructed of any relatively rigid or stiff water-insolublematerial, such as aluminum, steel, brass, copper, bronze, plasticmaterials, and the like.

In the embodiment of this invention shown in Figs. 3 and 4, respiratorymask 18 comprises a thin-walled flexible face piece 19 of rubber-likematerial adapted to fit over the nose and mouth of the wearer, athin-walled flexible rebreather container or bag 2i! of rubber-likematerial depending from face piece 19 and integrally connectedtherewith, and a relatively rigid or stiff tubular connector orstiffening member 21 extending from face piece 19 a substantial distanceinto bag 20, preferably a distance of at least about one inch. The endof connector member 21 extending into face piece 19 is provided with aflange 22 which serves the same purpose as flange 16 of mask 10 and theother end of connector member 21 extending into bag 20 is provided witha serrated edge 23 which serves the same function as the ser ratedtubular edge 17 of connector member 15 of mask 19. Slotted openings 24,24 in the tubular wall of connector member 21 provide additionalpassageways through which an oxygen-rich mixture contained in bag 29 mayflow to allow a suthcient quantity of the oxygen-rich mixture to bedrawn into face piece 19 by the wearer during the inhalation portion ofthe breathing cycle even if bag 20 is collapsed over the serratedtubular opening of connector member 21 as a result of external forcesbeing applied to bag 2% to collapse it. A relatively rigid hoodlikeguard or restraining member 25, preferably an integral portion ofconnector member 21, extending over slotted openings 24, 24-, as shownin Fig. 3, prevents bag 28 from being collapsed over and closingopenings 24, 24 preventing the flow of fluid confined in bag 20therethrough.

In another embodiment of this invention shown in Fig. 5, respiratorymask 27 comprises a thin-walled flexible face piece 23 of rubber;material and a thin-walled flexible rebreather bag 29 of rubberymaterial depending from face piece 28 and integrally connectedtherewith. A relatively rigid or stiff tubular stiffening or connectormember 30 extends from face piece 28 through bag 29, as shown in Fig. 5,one end of said stiffening member being provided with a flange 31 whichis fitted into a groove 32 in the wall of face piece 28 to holdstiffening member 30 securely in the desired position preventing thisend of stiffening member 30 from being urged into bag 29. The other endof stiffening member 30 is tapered to form nipple 33 which is connectedwith an oxygen supply tube 34 when respiratory mask 27 is in use.Slotted openings 35, 35 in the wall of tubular stiffening member 30provide conduits through which an oxygen-rich mixture confined in bag 29may flow during the inhalation portion of the breathing cycle.

The flexible opening or passageway between the face piece and rebreatherbag of a respiratory mask within the purview of this invention is notsusceptible to being collapsed as a result of the rebreather bag beingdisplaced from its normal depending condition as is a flexible mask ofconventional construction.

Also, the flow of an oxygen-rich mixture confined in the rebreather bagto the face piece of the mask is not terminated in respiratory maskswithin the purview of this invention if the rebreather bag is collapsedby external forces exerted on the rebreather bag as would occur if thewearer were to inadvertently lie on the rebreather bag.

it is clear that obvious variations and modifications of this inventionmay be made without departing from the spirit and scope of thisinvention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A respiratory mask comprising a relatively flexible face pieceadapted to fit over the face, a relatively flexible rebreather bagdepending from said face piece, and a relatively rigid open-endedtubular stiffening member opening into and extending from said facepiece through said rebreather bag, the portion of said tubularstiffening member disposed Within the confines of said rebreather baghaving a plurality of openings in the tubular wall thereof.

2. A respiratory mask comprising, in combination, a relatively flexibleface piece adapted to fit over the face, a relatively flexiblerebreather bag depending from said face piece, and a relatively rigidgenerally tubular hollow open-ended stiffening member extending fromsaid face piece a substantial distance into said rebreather bag, saidtubular stiffening member having a conduit extending through its entirelength, said conduit opening into said face piece.

3. A respiratory mask comprising, in combination, a relatively flexibleface piece adapted to flt over the face, a relatively flexiblerebreather bag depending from said face piece, and a relatively rigidgenerally tubular hollow open-ended stiffening member extending fromsaid face piece a substantial distance into said rebreather bag, saidtubular stiffening member having a conduit extending through its entirelength, said conduit opening into said face piece at the one end thereofand into said rebreather bag at the other end thereof, the end of saidtubular stiffening member which extends a substantial distance into saidrebreather bag having a serrated edge to permit an oxygen-rich mixtureconfined in said rebreather bag to flow from said rebreather bag intosaid conduit of said stiffening member even though said rebreather bagis collapsed over the end of the said tubular stiffening member.

4. A respiratory mask comprising, in combination, a relatively flexibleface piece adapted to fit over the face, a relatively flexiblerebreather bag depending from said face piece, and a relatively rigidgenerally tubular hollow open-ended stiffening member extending fromsaid face piece a substantial distance into said rebreather bag, saidtubular stiflening member having a conduit extending through its entirelength and opening into said face piece, the end of said tubularstiffening member extending into said rebreather bag having a pluralityof openings in the tubular wall thereof to, permit an oxygen-richmixture confined in said rebreather bag to flow from said rebreather baginto the said conduit of said stiffening member.

S A respiratory mask comprising, in combination, a relatively flexibleface piece adapted to fit over the face, a relatively flexiblerebreather bag depending from said face piece, and a relatively rigidgenerally tubular hollow open-ended stiffening member extending fromsaid face piece a substantial distance into said rebreather bag, saidtubular stiffening member having a conduit extending through its entirelength, said conduit opening into said face piece at the one end thereofand into said rebreather bag at the other end thereof, the end of saidtubular stiffening member which extends a substantial distance into saidrebreather bag having a serrated edge and a plurality of openings in thetubular wall thereof to permit an oxygen-rich mixture confined in saidrebreather bag to flow from said rebreather bag into said conduit ofsaid stiffening member even though said rebreather bag is collapsed overthe end of the said tubular stiffening member.

6. A respiratory mask comprising, in combination, a relatively flexibleface piece adapted to fit over the face, a relatively flexiblerebreather bag depending from said face piece, and a relatively rigidgenerally tubular hollow open-ended stiffening member extending fromsaid face piece a substantial distance into said rebreather bag, saidtubular stiffening member having a conduit extending through its entirelength, said conduit opening into said face piece at the one end thereofand into said rebreather bag at the other end thereof, the end of saidtubular stiffening member which extends a substantial distance into saidrebreather bag having a serrated edge and a plurality of openings in thetubular wall thereof to permit an oxygenrich mixture confined in saidrebreather bag to flow from said rebreather bag into said conduit ofsaid stiffening member even though said rebreather bag is collapsed overthe end of the said tubular stiflening member, the other end of saidtubular stiffening member having a flanged portion fitted into a groovein said face piece to secure said stiffening member to said face piece.

7. A respiratory mask comprising, in combination, a relatively flexibleface piece adapted to fit over the face, a relatively flexiblerebreather bag depending from said face piece, and a relatively rigidgenerally tubular hollow open-ended stiffening member extending fromsaid face piece a substantial distance into said rebreather bag, saidtubular stiffening member having a conduit extending through its entirelength, said conduit opening into said face piece at the one end thereofand into said rebreather bag at the other end thereof, the end of saidstifiening member which extends a substantial distance into saidrebreather bag having a plurality of openings in the tubular wallthereof and having a restraining member extendmg over said openings andspaced therefrom to maintain said rebreather bag in a spacedrelationship from said openings.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS733,026 Goldan July 7, 1903 1,683,686 McMillan Sept. 11, 1928 2,130,406Angell Sept. 20, 1938 2,185,067 Sholes Dec. 26, 1939 2,260,701 BoothbyOct. 28,1941 2,535,938 Lombard Dec. 26, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS 865,203France Feb. 17, 1940

